Mar 2026

Network-Alliance Analysis

Mapping and analysis of the relational structures among actors: alliances, coalitions, partnerships, dependencies, rivalries, and information flows. Rooted in social network analysis (Wasserman & Faust), coalition theory (Riker's minimum winning coalition), and international relations alliance literature (Snyder, Walt). The method identifies network topology, central nodes, brokers, bridge actors, and structural holes. In the space domain, this is particularly valuable given the layered and fluid nature of alliances — Artemis Accords, ILRS (International Lunar Research Station), ESA partnerships, bilateral space cooperation agreements, commercial consortia, and military space coalitions all coexist and overlap.

Mar 2026

PESTLE Analysis

Framework that systematically examines six macro-environmental dimensions: Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental. Originally developed in strategic management literature (Francis Aguilar's ETPS model, 1967, later expanded), PESTLE forces comprehensive coverage of the external context surrounding any policy or regulatory issue. It produces a structured map of all contextual factors that shape, constrain, or enable a given policy domain.

Mar 2026

Platform & Ecosystem Analysis

Framework for analyzing multi-sided platform business models, ecosystem dynamics, and network effects in technology-intensive markets. Draws on the foundational work of Parker, Van Alstyne & Choudary (2016) on platform economics, Gawer & Cusumano (2002, 2014) on platform leadership, Iansiti & Levien (2004) on business ecosystems, and Rochet & Tirole (2003) on two-sided markets. The method examines how platforms create value by facilitating interactions between distinct user groups, how network effects drive adoption and lock-in, how ecosystem orchestrators shape complementor behavior, and where value capture concentrates. In the space sector, platform dynamics are increasingly central: satellite data marketplaces (e.g., UP42, EarthDaily Analytics), ground-station-as-a-service networks (AWS Ground Station, KSAT Lite), rideshare launch aggregators (Spaceflight Inc., Exolaunch), and space-as-a-service infrastructure providers all exhibit platform characteristics that traditional industry analysis frameworks miss.

Mar 2026

Policy Cycle Analysis

Analytical framework based on the stages model of the policy process, originating with Harold Lasswell's decision process framework (1956) and refined by subsequent scholars (Jones, 1970; Anderson, 1975; Howlett & Ramesh, 2003). The model breaks the policy process into sequential stages — agenda-setting, formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation — each with distinct dynamics, actors, and analytical questions. While real policy-making is rarely this linear, the stages model provides a powerful heuristic for understanding where a policy issue sits in its lifecycle and what analytical questions are most relevant at each stage.

Mar 2026

Porter's Five Forces

Framework developed by Michael Porter (1979) for analyzing the competitive structure of an industry. It identifies five forces that shape competitive intensity and long-term profitability: threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitutes, and rivalry among existing competitors. Rooted in industrial organization economics, it remains the foundational tool for industry-level competitive analysis.

Mar 2026

Power-Influence Analysis

Analysis of the sources, mechanisms, and dynamics of power and influence among actors in a strategic system. Goes beyond identifying *who* has power to explain *how* power is exercised, *through what channels*, and *with what effects*. Draws on Lukes' three dimensions of power (decision-making, agenda-setting, ideological shaping), French and Raven's bases of power (coercive, reward, legitimate, expert, referent), and Barnett and Duvall's taxonomy (compulsory, institutional, structural, productive). In the space domain, power sources are unusually diverse — spanning launch capability, orbital slots, spectrum rights, technological standards, and normative authority.

Mar 2026

Realist Power Analysis

Analysis of international relations through the lens of classical and structural realism: distribution of power, national interests, balance of forces, deterrence, and the security dilemma. Rooted in the intellectual lineage of Thucydides, Machiavelli, Morgenthau, Waltz, and Mearsheimer, this method treats states as rational, self-interested actors operating under anarchy. It incorporates the foundational geopolitical theories that reveal how geography, resources, and spatial relationships constrain and shape state behavior across decades and centuries.

Mar 2026

Red Team Analysis

A structured analytical technique in which the analyst deliberately adopts the perspective of an adversary, competitor, or critic to identify vulnerabilities, untested assumptions, and failure points in a strategy, system, or narrative. Originating in military war-gaming and institutionalized by intelligence communities (notably the CIA's Red Cell post-9/11), red teaming is a form of disciplined contrarian thinking. It goes beyond devil's advocacy by requiring the analyst to fully inhabit the opposing perspective, reasoning from the adversary's logic, constraints, and objectives rather than simply poking holes from the outside.

Mar 2026

Regulatory Impact Analysis

Structured evaluation of the effects of a regulation or policy intervention on affected parties. Rooted in welfare economics and public administration practice, Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) became a standard OECD governance tool in the 1990s and is now mandated in most advanced regulatory systems (EU Better Regulation, US Executive Orders on regulatory review). RIA systematically assesses costs and benefits for stakeholders, distinguishes intended from unintended effects, evaluates alternative regulatory options, and tests proportionality. It is the closest thing to a "due diligence" framework for regulation.

Mar 2026

Resilience Analysis

A framework for evaluating the capacity of a system, infrastructure, or organization to absorb shocks, adapt to disruption, and recover functionality. Unlike risk analysis, which focuses on preventing adverse events, resilience analysis accepts that disruptions will occur and examines how well a system performs under stress and how quickly it returns to acceptable operation. Intellectual roots span ecological resilience theory (Holling, 1973), critical infrastructure protection (post-9/11 frameworks), and complex adaptive systems theory. In the space domain, resilience analysis is essential for evaluating architectures that underpin critical services — GNSS, satellite communications, Earth observation, and space situational awareness — where failure has cascading terrestrial consequences.